The Ginsu bomb

[tartare]

Had wondered for ages how the IDF et al managed to make hyper accurate strikes on cars in crowded environments - and kill just one person in the vehicle.
Some even smaller, small diameter bomb?
Well now we know.
Here's the R9X or Ginsu bomb:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/secret-ninja-bomb-targets-individual-terrorists-with-blades-20190510-p51lvf.html

[unmanned_droid]

The hellfire seems too big to keep the damage as contained as it appears to be. The kinetic energy of the missile would be pretty damn high at point of impact unless they've massively reduced motor size...reducing launch range, and controllability as well.

I would have thought one of the newer, smaller, missiles like Viper Strike would be more appropriate as a platform...

[BEagle]

Did they get the idea from watching the movie Battleship and seeing the aliens' blade-wielding drones?

Good to read that the US has had a lot of success using the R9X to slice up terrorist leaders. They've nowhere to hide now...

[Lyneham Lad]

In The Times today:-

‘Ninja’ missile shreds enemies to death (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ninja-missile-shreds-enemies-to-death-c0xtjfrcc?shareToken=4e70dfe0922c3911f83fcbddff1db816)

[Tashengurt]

Surprising no images of the remnants of these missiles have emerged?

[MPN11]

A neat (if expensive) solution to collateral damage. With precision targeting, much approved.

[ORAC]

If it doesn’t go bang, is it a bomb?

More a kinetic lance and a step on the way to “rods from god”, aka Larry Niven’s flying crowbars.

https://youtu.be/XGeyYpAxFU4

[racedo]

Did they get the idea from watching the movie Battleship and seeing the aliens' blade-wielding drones?

Good to read that the US has had a lot of success using the R9X to slice up terrorist leaders. They've nowhere to hide now...

Once you develop a weapon like that then others do to.

Were it just targeting terrorists then fine but we both know it won't stop there just like drone attacks will not stop either. I doubt it is very long before a drone attack occurs in the west on a political figure.

[unmanned_droid]

Surprising no images of the remnants of these missiles have emerged?

Exactly, if it was a hellfire it would be sticking out of the top of the car if it didn't explode.

[Tashengurt]

Exactly, if it was a hellfire it would be sticking out of the top of the car if it didn't explode.

Or the bottom?

[unmanned_droid]

Or the bottom?
either way there should be bits of hellfire everywhere.

[BEagle]

There probably are - inside the car with the rag-wrapped hamburger meat and offal.

[Brian W May]

"under development as early as 2011 and was reportedly born from Barack Obama's emphasis on cutting civilian casualties " A glorious pun surely :)

[AR1]

"..could potentially kill a car's front seat passenger without harming the driver..."

Well done blowing that secret. They'll just drive the cars themselves now.

[meleagertoo]

"..could potentially kill a car's front seat passenger without harming the driver..."

Well done blowing that secret. They'll just drive the cars themselves now.

Hardly imagine that journalistic interpretation is very realistic.
Do you imagine anyone in a car struck by someting going that fast would survive the concussion and flying debris?

[AR1]

Note to self:
use smiley or similar when posting tounge in cheek.

[Blossy]

Never mind AR1, many of us have found ourselves in similar situations! :uhoh:

[India Four Two]

I have no idea if the Ginsu knife was sold in the UK but just in case it wasn’t, here’s the original 1980 ad:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=abLB7aTmnE4

I believe this ad is the origin of the humorous/sarcastic phrase “But wait, there’s more!”